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Mitiana Arbon
Mitiana Arbon is a Samoan-Australian curator whose work bridges cultural institutions and Pacific communities, grounded in the values of service, community, and cultural representation. With a background in Pacific Studies and Museum Studies from the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Mitiana has long been passionate about creating pathways for Pacific communities within educational and cultural institutions.
During his time at ANU, he was actively involved in outreach and advocacy programs focused on increasing Pacific visibility on campus, supporting student transitions, and promoting cultural engagement. His professional journey has included roles in digital media and with the Pacific Manuscripts Bureau, an archival initiative committed to preserving rare and at-risk Pacific heritage materials.
From 2021 to 2023, Mitiana served as the Pacific Curator at the Übersee-Museum in Bremen, Germany — becoming the first Samoan to be fully employed by a German museum. There, he led the development of several digital initiatives and played a key role in curating the museum’s new permanent exhibition on Oceania.
He is currently the Pacific Curator at the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia, where his work focuses on reconnecting Pacific communities with their historical collections and fostering opportunities for access, knowledge-sharing, and cultural care. He is especially interested in engaging new audiences with the depth, complexity, and contemporary challenges of the Pacific region.
Mitiana is guided by the Samoan proverb “O le ala i le pule o le tautua” — “the path to leadership is through service”— a reminder that leadership is rooted in humility, care, and responsibility to others. This ethos continues to guide his efforts to reshape how museums collaborate with Pacific communities, prioritizing relationships, representation, and shared authority.
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